Vandermeer University
Category:ArticlesCategory:Locations | continuity = | image = | aliases = | category = | galaxy = | region = | system = | sector = | suns = | moons = | planet = | continent = North America | country = United States of America | state = Pennsylvania | city = Pittsburgh | locale = | residents = Cliff Carmichael; Martin Stein; Ronnie Raymond | poi = | 1st = ''Firestorm'', Vol. 2 #38 }} Vandermeer University is a fictional college featured in comic books published by DC Comics. It is associated with the Firestorm line of comic titles and first appeared in ''The Fury of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man'' #38 in August, 1985. History Vandermeer University is a collegiate campus specializing in arts and sciences located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the 1960s, Vandermeer comprised a very liberal student body, many of which followed the hippie movement that had become popularized during this era. A dutch professor from Holland named Rikkard Rynders staged many protests in defiance to armed authoritative figures, particularly military personnel on college campuses. He inspired many students to act in defiance to the known establishment. At this time, Rikkard also believed he could pierce the barriers of the fourth dimension through astral projection and psychedelic drugs. His lover and assistant Emily Littela Rice helped him to create a device designed to record his neural impulses so that others could witness what Rynders experienced. The experiment met with horrible results, and Rynders' consciousness was thrust into the timestream. Forced to travel the tributaries of his own timeline, Rynders adopted the name the Flying Dutchman. His girlfriend Emily Rice later went on to become Dean of Arts and Sciences. Firestorm Vol 2 70 In more recent years, Vandermeer University's student body consisted of notable students such as Ronnie Raymond, who was one half of the gestalt entity known as Firestorm. The other half of the Firestorm matrix, Professor Martin Stein worked as part of Vandermeer's faculty. He replaced the late physics instructor, Professor Peter Banks. Professor Banks, as well as several other faculty members were the victims of a string of brutal murders perpetuated by a former colleague of Stein's named John Monroe. Monroe was the super-villain known as the Weasel. Firestorm Vol 2 38 Vandermeer University became one of a handful of selected schools to participate in the government's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). At this time, Vandermeer was haunted by what was believed to be the ghost of Rykkard Rynders. In fact however, it was merely his astral self, projecting itself from the Fourth Dimension. Firestorm Vol 2 70 Characters Staff * Emily Littela Rice - Dean of Admissions * Martin Stein - Physics professor * Rikkard Rynders - Professor; former staff * Arnie Lintel - Engineering department head * Chuck Gerkin - Night watchman * Linda Walters - Music instructor * Peter Banks - Physics professor * John Monroe - Instructor Students * Cliff Carmichael * Ronnie Raymond * Bree Daniels Recommendations See also References Category:Pennsylvania